


The littlest things

by traveler_of_heart



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-08-28 13:51:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16724607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/traveler_of_heart/pseuds/traveler_of_heart
Summary: Regina was used to grand gestures. As a monarch, people would bring her presents of all shapes and sizes to get on her good side -if the Evil Queen had one, that was. Jewelry didn’t impress her, she had her share of amazing outfits and she’d rather cook a family meal than be at a fancy feast among royalty.It was the small things that caught her eye.The things Emma Swan did for her without a second thought, to be more precise.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a fluffy one shot. Hope you all like it!

Regina was used to grand gestures. As a monarch, people would bring her presents of all shapes and sizes to get on her good side -if the Evil Queen had one, that was. Jewelry didn’t impress her, she had her share of amazing outfits and she’d rather cook a family meal than be at a fancy feast among royalty.

It was the small things that caught her eye.

The things Emma Swan did for her without a second thought, to be more precise.

 

**

 

“Come in”, Regina said absentmindedly, her eyes reading a request from Snow regarding bird feeders. Clearly, some things never change.

“Hey, how’s your morning going?” a too familiar voice said from the doorway. Regina ignored the warmth she felt in her face. Emma walked towards her desk with a cup of coffee and a bag from the pastry shop Regina liked so much.

“Well, your mother insists on bird feeders for the town, as if it’s more important than fixing the roads after our latest troll attack” 

“Just say no”

“And have her cry in front of me?”

“That sounds a lot like her. I’ll see what I can do about it”, the blonde put the cup of coffee and the paper bag in front of Regina. “Today is Danish day at Al’s but I figured you’d be too busy with end of the month paperwork to pick it up yourself”

“I… thank you” the brunette’s shoulders relaxed and she reached out for the bag. She was about to take a bite of the scone when she realised Emma kept staring. “Want a bite?”

Emma let out a laugh at that and rubbed the back of her neck with a shy smile. 

“Nah, I just had a bearclaw. So… I guess I’ll see ya later”

“It seems inevitable” Regina said, feigning annoyance and Emma rolled her eyes.

“Ha-ha” the blonde answered, standing up and waving clumsily at Regina, who smirked playfully before going back to expense reports and budget proposals.

Thinking about Emma’s coy smile over and over made Regina’s day go faster and before she knew it, it was time to go home.

“Have you heard about the snow storm coming?” Ella said as they exited City Hall and walked to their cars. She was a good receptionist, and she seemed genuinely happy to be working with Regina.

“Yes, but I believe Emma has everything under control” 

After curses, magical creatures and evil witches, she was more than confident the sheriff could handle a storm that would keep people in their homes for a few days, at worst.

“Oh, I’m glad Emma got to fix your tire” she said as they both stopped next to Regina’s Mercedes.

“What?”

“Oh, right…” Ella began to explain to Regina, a cryptic smile on her face. “You had a flat tire this morning. I guess it happened on your way to the office. When Emma stopped by she told me she was gonna take care of it and not to bother you about it unless it was important because you were busy.”

“That is very… nice of her” the brunette said while inspecting her car. She would have never noticed anything differently had it not been for Ella. “I mean, I’m sure she is concerned about Henry’s safety and comfort as he travels in this car as well”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s why she did it. Henry” Ella said in a tone that made it clear she wasn’t buying it. “See you tomorrow, Mayor Mills”

“Yes, drive safely” she dismissed the girl without paying attention. Regina got into the car and pulled out her phone, typing quickly.

**_Want to join us for dinner, Miss Swan?_ **

_ Really? Would love to :) _

She kept staring at the reply that came seconds later. Oh, Regina was in over her head.

 

**

 

“Oh, baby, what is it?” Regina pleaded desperately as she kept balancing Robyn in her arms.

She was  _ trying.  _ Trying to keep her niece from crying and trying not to hate her sister for dropping Robyn off without so much as a warning. She knew how hard it was to raise a child on your own. Especially when said child keeps bawling over God knows what.

“So, not hungry, not pooped, not sick… what could it be?” the brunette bounced and hummed, which seemed to calm Robyn for a few seconds before she decided it wasn’t enough and resumed her crying.

“Just hold on for a second”, she pleaded and went to the kitchen, looking for something sweet to ease the girl. As Regina looked around the pantry, she heard a muffled cry, a thump and a  _ “Son of a bitch” _ followed by one of Robyn’s giggles. She abandoned her search in the kitchen and went back to the living room to find Emma face down on the floor, while Robyn clapped and laughed at the blonde.

“Emma, are you okay? What happened?” she hoisted Emma up by her arm to a sitting position on the floor.

“I dunno, I was in my apartment one second and the next I appeared here.” she explained as it was the most common thing in the world to appear in someone else’s house. The blonde turned to Robyn and sat the little girl on her lap, all traces of her tantrum forgotten and a wide smile on her face. “Hi, pumpkin!”

“Oh… I think… It can’t be...” Regina said looking between the baby and the blonde.

“What? What is it, ‘Gina?”

“I think Robyn magicked you here”

“Wooow” Emma bounced the baby with her leg and peppered her face with kisses. “That is sooo cool. You are so smart, baby! High five. Come on. Baby high five”, she said while Robyn erupted in a fit of laughter and held Emma’s blonde curls.

“I’m sorry”

“What for? I miss this pretty face and I adore her”

And oh, boy. She knew Emma meant it. Regina also knew Emma wouldn’t even think it was a big deal, except it was. Because for Regina, it meant Emma accepted all the baggage that Regina carried around. About her past, her complicated present and about her crazy sister, who was frankly still weird sometimes. 

“Was your Auntie Gina feeding you apples? Is that why you were crying? Apples, blugh” Emma made a face and Robyn clapped excitedly.

“Excuse me, I’ll have you know my apples are perfectly fine”, Regina sat next to Emma on the floor and slapped a hand against the blonde’s shoulders.

“Mmm, yes they are” Emma said with a sly smile that made Regina blush. It was clear that Robyn didn’t understand a word, but was enjoying their back and forth.

“I think she likes it when I hit you” Regina said and pinched Emma.

“Ouch, no, she doesn’t”

“She  _ so _ does” Regina said poking at her side, which made Emma jump and Robyn laugh. “I am so proud”

“Ok, just so you know, I charge a fee for my punching bag/babysitting services”

“Fine, how about the best grilled cheese sandwich you’ve ever had?” Regina raised her hands, surrendering and getting ready to leave for the kitchen.

“What do we say, baby? Yay? Or nay?” Emma said, raising Robyn when she said  _ yay _ and pulling her close to her frowning face when she muttered  _ nay.  _ “I think it’s a  _ yay” _ she said to Regina with a nasal tone as Robyn squeezed her nose.

“Do you mind if I take a shower first, though? I’m kind of…”, she made a motion around her shirt, covered in saliva and other fluids that were expected to stain your clothes when looking after a baby.

“Yeah, sure. No problem”

“Very well… behave while I’m gone”

“Don’t look at me, I think she knows more about magic than me”

“Still… behave,  _ please _ ”

“Yes, fine” Emma said while grabbing one of Robyn’s plush toys and putting it close to the girl’s face pretending it was kissing her.

Regina kept hearing Emma playing with Robyn and making up stories about her toys. Truth be told, she couldn’t blame her niece for wanting Emma close. Her warm smile and her childish ways were too endearing to ignore. 

And here she was again, dancing around feelings she would not dare speak out loud or put a name on. Loving the domesticity of this, longing to spend more time with Emma were dangerous ideas that could hurt both them and Henry.

She decided to take it one step at a time. Shower. Make sandwich. Put Robyn to bed.

Of course, her entire plan was shattered when she went downstairs and found a sleeping Emma, Robyn resting peacefully on her chest. 

She liked that view far more than she’d ever admit.

 

**

 

“Henry Daniel Mills”

With all the Robyn craziness, Regina had forgotten that being a parent never stops being hard. Especially with a teenage son eager to be on his own.

“What?”, her son, her sweet boy, turned around before leaving the kitchen and the sight of him, annoyed and grouchy, made her heart sink. It reminded her of a time before the curse broke, when she thought he’d never love her again.

“We haven’t finished this discussion so don’t walk away from me”

“Well, I thought there was nothing left to say, so, whatever”

“I…” Regina started once again, trying to keep her cool. But Emma’s hesitant greeting from the foyer and the sound of the door locking interrupted her.

“We’re in here!” 

“Did  _ you _ call Emma?”

“Yes, so she can tell you herself that it’s fine and I don’t need babysitting. Right, Ma?”, he finished, turning towards the door as Emma walked in, looking between the two of them.

“Kid, what’s going on? You texted  _ Help,  _ I thought it was an emergency”

The blonde turned to Regina, who chose to look down and cross her arms defensively, ready to feel even worse than she did. Of course Henry would call Emma to side with him, and she’d end up looking like the evil parent all over again.

_ Evil _ . She hated that word.

“Mom won’t let me go to New York to stay with Dave over the weekend” 

“Seriously?” Emma said, surprised. Regina braced herself for hearing that she worried too much and that Henry would be fine on his own. “Kid, that is  _ not _ an emergency. And if your Mom says no, I’m pretty sure she has her reasons, right?”

“Well, I…” Regina stumbled with her words when she realised Emma was looking at her. “I just want to know who his parents are to make sure everything’s alright”

“See? Ma, tell her you know them and it’s fine”

“No”

“What?” 

“I said no. If your Mom wants to meet Dave’s parents and make sure everything’s alright, we’re driving you there”

“You’re kidding me” Henry rolled his eyes, focusing his frustration on Emma now. “You’re being ridiculous”

“And you are being a brat so tone it down before I change my mind about driving you all the way there”

“But…”

“Enough”, she said in a tone that made it clear her mind was made. And in true teenage fashion, Henry rolled his eyes, and stomped out of the room, muttering under his breath.

Emma exhaled when she heard him go up the stairs to his room, her shoulders visibly relaxing.

“How about a glass of apple cider?” Regina offered.

They heard loud and clear as Henry slammed the door to his room.

“Got anything stronger?”

The brunette let out a shaky laugh, looking for the bottle of scotch Emma fancied. She tried to steady her hands, but she was still shaking.

“Here, I’ve got this”, Emma said softly and pour herself a drink, grabbing a glass to get Regina’s favorite red wine.

“Emma, am I being ridiculous?”

The blonde snorted and handed out the glass of wine to Regina, their fingers brushing lightly.

“No, not at all”

“Then why are you laughing at me?” Regina said, going back to her usual self and looking at Emma with irritation.

“I’m not laughing at you, sorry. I just… God, it must be cool to be 15 and think you are King of the World. I love Henry, but if he thinks he’s going to New York  _ alone _ he is crazy”

“Is it not safe?”

“It is, but I mean… sometimes it’s crazy and hectic and things happen. I used to let him hang out with his friends because I was a phone call away. But if something happens, and that is a big  _ if”,  _ she added as soon as she saw Regina’s eyes widen. “I don’t want to be all the way back in Storybrooke”

“Well, it’s nice to know we agree”

“Cheers to that” Emma said clinking her glass against Regina’s.

They drank in silence for a moment and then the younger woman said the most Emma thing ever.

“You owe me that grilled cheese”

“You were asleep with Robyn. I wasn’t gonna wake her up to feed  _ you _ ” Regina said, offended at the implication she had bailed on her side of the deal.

“Well, you took forever in the shower. And you had no problem waking me up to feed her”

“She’s a baby. A real one, unlike you, Miss Swan.” Emma arched an eyebrow, looking more determined than before. “Fine. I’m making it. But you need to help me change the lightbulb in the guest room” Regina said matter of factly, pulling out the ingredients from the fridge.

“Well, why can’t you just do it with magic?”

“Indulge me”

“Fine. But I want ice cream for dessert”

“You know where to find the ladder”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s not the first time you’ve bossed me around to do the hard work around your house, Madame Mayor” Emma said with a smirk that made Regina blush, but she pushed the door with her back and disappeared upstairs before she could see the effect her words had on the other woman.

What neither of them mentioned was that Emma got upset when Regina asked anyone else to fix things for her, because “I can do it for you and it will only cost you a warm plate of lasagna”. Before Regina knew it, she had Emma cleaning the gutters, changing light bulbs, even shoveling snow from the driveway when there was a storm. 

Truth be told, she liked the smile on Emma’s face when Regina thanked her… and Regina liked to watch Emma fix things wearing a white tank top and skinny jeans. So really, it was a win-win. What was not a win-win was the fact that she added a small portion of steamed vegetables next to Emma’s grilled cheese.

She went upstairs to let Emma know the food was ready when she heard voices coming from Henry’s room.

“Did you ever think that your Mom could use a fun weekend away from the town too?”

“No. Sorry” Henry said in a low voice.

“Well, there ya go. I promise you we won’t call you every five seconds. We just want to make sure you’re ok. We’ll drop you off and leave you be for the entire weekend”

“No texts from Mom?”

“How about five texts per day?”

“Two”

“Come on, kid. I say that to your Mom, she fireballs my ass on the spot”

Regina had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep herself from laughing at that. Emma knew her well.

“There’s no magic in New York”

“As soon as we cross the town line, she’ll do it”

“Fine, three texts including a picture per day”

“Sounds good to me. Do we have a deal, Regina?”

The brunette was startled at hearing her name, but peaked through the door looking bashful at getting caught.

“Can we negotiate a short call too?”

“We’ll see” Henry said with a shy smile and stood up to hug Regina. “Sorry for being a brat”

“Oh, honey, it’s ok. Those Charming genes can get the best of you. It happens to everyone, right, Emma?”

“Ha-ha” Emma walked by them, placing a hand on Henry’s back. “While you roast me, I’m going downstairs to get my promised meal”

She hopped down, two steps at a time.

“Mom, you can stop hugging me now”

“I put vegetables on Emma’s sandwich, I want to be far away when she realises”

“Oh, man… REGINA”

“There we go”   
  


**

 

“You’re weird”

“And you’re late” Regina answered distractedly as she kept looking in her purse and around the booth of Granny’s.

“Yeah, but I’m  _ always  _ late. And you’re not usually weird, so spill the magic beans, Madame Mayor”

“There’s no such thing as magic beans, dear”

“Yes, there are” Emma said defensively and Regina laughed. “Oh, very funny. Now tell me what’s wrong”

“I seem to have lost my favorite bracelet”

“The silver one with red rubies?”

“Yes” Regina said, impressed that Emma even knew what she was talking about. “I’ll check when I get home, maybe it got caught in the bushes while I was gardening”

“Who does gardening while wearing jewelry?” the blonde said while Regina took a sip of her coffee, shooting daggers with her eyes towards Emma. “Fine, I guess you can take the Queen out of the Enchanted Forest, but you can’t take the… uh…”

“What’s wrong, dear? That thought was too complex for you to finish?”

“Shut up, I’m getting there”

“Would a treat help?” the brunette said, holding a cookie in front of Emma.

“No… yes. Gimme” she reached out just as Regina took a bite. “Ginaaaa”

“What? I’m just having a snack before my meeting. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” she stood up and smoothed down her skirt. “I’ll see you for the PTA meeting this afternoon”

“He’s 15, do we have to do that still?”

“Yes” Regina answered in a tone that made it clear there was no argument about it.

“Fine”

“Very well” Regina walked out of Granny’s just as Ruby was leaving the check for Emma, who glared at her through the window. Regina shrugged her shoulders and kept walking. She missed the warm smile on the blonde’s face as she paid her friend.

Sure enough, Emma was late that afternoon again, sprinting down the hall and apologizing to Regina as soon as she plopped down in the chair next to hers.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t miss it, did I?”

“Barely” Regina answered with a glare and the blonde gulped.“Where have you been? Your shirt’s torn and you have mud all over your boots”

“I was in the troll bridge” Emma answered, looking for something in her jacket’s pockets. “Shoot, I left this thing in my car, can I go back and get it real quick?”

“What thing?”

“A thing”

“We’re next, so unless that thing is another shirt that will make you like more presentable, you’ll have to wait, Miss Swan”

“Fine, I’ll just…” she took of her jacket and began to unbutton her shirt.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Regina squealed, face flushed.

“You’re right, my shirt looks awful, so I’ll just take it off and put my jacket over my tank top. See? Better, right?”

“I suppose” Regina muttered, looking away to hide the blush creeping up her face. She only turned around to grab Emma’s shirt and put it inside her handbag. The blonde had the common sense to give a small smile and keep silent while they waited.

“Mayor Mills, Sheriff Swan” the door opened and Miss Sheridan invited them in, a warm but tired smile on her face. Emma had a point regarding PTA meetings, thought Regina would never admit it.

At this point, Henry was doing great; there were no complaints about him and his grades were excellent. If anything, and in the words of Miss Sheridan, “he seemed eager to be a hero and put himself on the line to help anyone, student or teacher, which was too much for a kid in high school”. After Emma’s sarcastic remark of  _ Geez, wonder where he got that  _ and Regina’s not so subtle kick to her shin, the professor dismissed them.

“See, told you he was doing fine. You raised him well” Emma said as they walked towards their cars in the school’s parking lot.

“We raised him well. And stop limping, I didn’t kick you  _ that _ hard”

“Oh, that’s not why… I fell earlier. And speaking of…” she trailed to the bug and opened the door, looking for a small box on the passenger’s seat. “I found this underneath the troll bridge”

Regina took the box with a disconcerted look. She gasped when she found her bracelet inside.

“How…?”

“Guess it must have fallen there two days ago when we were chasing that chimera. You should really consider leaving the crown jewels at home when we’re out chasing fairy tale creatures. Or gardening”

“That’s weird, I thought I had it on yesterday”

“No, yesterday you were wearing the purple dress with the gold bracelet” Emma said before she could stop herself, her eyes wide and cheeks red at the words that came out of her mouth. “Uh… Here… let me”, she took the bracelet out of the box before the brunette could speak, and put it around Regina’s left wrist, her fingers ghosting over her skin as she locked it. “The safe was broken so I had it replaced but you should be careful anyway”

“Of course, thank you”

Regina’s thoughts were focused on Emma’s shy smile, still looking ashamed for the way her words had slipped out of her mouth earlier.

“Will you like to have dinner tomorrow?” Regina said, much to her own surprise. It looked like Emma’s impulse speech was contagious. The blonde nodded and smiled, this time more relaxed.

“Yeah, I would love that, actually”

“Ok”

“Ok”

And the way Emma looked at her? It made Regina feel more than ok.

 

**

 

It was not ok.

So not ok.

Regina didn’t even know where to start. Dinner was a disaster already and Emma wasn’t even there. Between meetings that ran for far longer than necessary, Regina’s back and forth about what to cook and Henry’s weird insistence of spending the night with his grandparents, she felt weird and nervous and like something big was about to happen.

Which, maybe was true.

Yes, she had asked Emma to join her for dinner. That in itself was nothing new. Except that she had finally given up and accepted that maybe, maybe, she really did have feelings for Emma and what was more, that there was a possibility she returned those feelings.

She had tried to get help from her sister, but as soon as she exposed her case, Zelena cackled and screamed “You’re so gay and you don’t even know it”

Useless.

So there she was, trying to make chicken pot pie while not ruining her dress, while her mind ran every possible scenario. Regina’s thoughts were so loud that she missed the insistent knocking on her door and Emma’s tentative footsteps when no one answered.

“Hello, anybody home?” she peeked around the kitchen, looking like the pantry had just exploded. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re early… and you brought flowers”, Regina said, looking defeated.

“I also brought wine”

“Emma, I’m sorry, we should reschedule”

“What, why? What’s wrong?” she repeated, leaving the flowers and wine on the kitchen island and approaching Regina. Her heart sank when she saw the brunette’s eyes welling up with tears.

“I had the longest day and I didn’t know what to cook, and then I was too distracted so I burned down like two pies before you got here… And I wanted tonight to be special”

“Well, every time I have dinner here is special so I don’t mind”

“No, this is different. I had a whole speech planned. I think, I mean, it depends on how things… what are you doing?” she said as Emma placed her hands on each side of her face, rubbing her cheek with her thumb.

“It’s just that you have flour all over your face” she answered with an adoring look, removing as much of it as she could. “You said you had a speech or something? I’m all ears”

“Well I can’t focus when you’re doing  _ that” _

Emma let out a small laugh, bringing Regina closer to remove some flour from her chin.

“It’ll be just a moment, don’t be such a grump about it”

Green eyes looked at Regina like she had the answers to everything in her lips and those soft hands that cupped her face with so much tenderness… the smile she gave her, not caring one single bit if her face was a mess. The love that radiated from Emma gave Regina the final pushed she needed, placing her hands on the blonde’s arms and bringing their lips closer.

Emma understood what she was doing a second before it happened, her frown disappearing as soon as their lips met in a sweet and tentative kiss.

“Emma, I…” Regina started, opening her eyes and trying to decipher Emma’s thoughts, though her eyes were still firmly shut

“Mmm, just a sec” the blonde said, reaching for Regina’s waist to bring her closer, her lips finding the brunette’s in a heated kiss. They moaned when Regina’s hands tangled in blonde curls and Emma backed her against the kitchen counter.

“There’s flour all over the counter” Regina protested.

“Uh-uh, tragic”

“My dress…” 

“Yes, I agree, take it off”

Regina laughed against her lips and Emma finally took a step back, already missing the feeling of soft and warm lips against her own. She kept her arms around Regina’s waist and the brunette, pulled her closer, pulling one of the belt loops of her jeans.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time, you know?” Emma said, her forehead resting against Regina’s.

“You don’t say”

“What about you, Madame Mayor? What made you fall for me? My Charming genes?”

“ _Definitely_ not”

“My heroic personality, my skills with the snow shovel, my hilarious puns…?”

Regina put her lips against Emma to silence her.

When they broke the kiss, she looked into those deep, emerald eyes and answered with a smile.

“It was you. All of you, Emma”

_ And all the little things you do to say you love me. _


	2. The littlest things (for one Emma Swan)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The little things Regina does for Emma

Expectation is the root of all heartache, Emma knew it by experience. Expecting to have a family, to feel loved. To be seen. All of the things she wanted and never had. So she got used to being invisible, to be easily forgotten. She took care of herself, she managed. She didn’t expect.

No one had bothered to try. But Regina did, in what seemed like small things.

For Emma, they were huge.

*

“I’m starving.”

“What a shock, dear.” 

Emma tried to hide her smirk and feigned annoyance. Without taking her eyes from the road, she kept poking the brunette.

“Come on, aren’t you a little bit hungry?”

“You’re driving and we’re in the middle of nowhere on our way back to Storybrooke. What are we gonna do, eat roots from the side of the road?”

“Nope. We’re gonna stop somewhere and grab a bite,” Emma said, determined to make a stop to at least stretch her legs.

“It’s getting late and Henry expects us for dinner.”

“We just drove all the way to Boston to pick up his birthday present, I think he can grab the phone and order himself a pizza, Regina.”

“Yes, but I rather he didn’t.”

“You spoil him too much.”

“And you don’t? This whole thing was  _ your _ idea!”

Thankfully for Emma, in that precise moment she spotted a small diner next to a gas station; she hit the brakes, making Regina curse loudly and took a U turn as quickly as possible. It happened so fast, the other woman didn’t have time to argue… that is, until Emma turned off the car.

“What the hell was that?” she yelled, making some people inside the diner turn their heads, alarmed.

“Gina, come on. I had it under control.”

“I always knew this metal trap would be the death of me,” Regina said, looking at the bug’s dashboard as if she wanted to set it on fire.

“You’re being dramatic.” Emma rolled her eyes and stepped out, grateful for the chance to stretch her back and legs.

“I’ll stop being dramatic when you stop being an idiot, how about that?”

“Then it seems like we’ll be doing this for a long time,” Emma mocked, opening the door of the diner for Regina. The brunette huffed, but straightened her coat and went inside, as if she hadn’t just seen her entire life flash before her eyes in one of Emma’s “Fast and Furious” dumb stunts.

The diner, wasn’t such a bad place, considering it was at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere.

“Will this place do for Your Majesty’s refined palate?” Emma said as they slid in one of the booths by the window.

“No, but what choice do I have?” Regina didn’t even bother to look up from her menu to answer what was obviously one of Emma’s teasing comments about her once royal title.

“I’m pretty sure I have a Kit-Kat in the back seat of the bug in case you… Ouch!” Emma felt a heel digging in her shin and curled up, resting her head against the table. “Regina!”

“Mmm, something wrong dear?”

“Ok, fine, what do I have to do for you to forgive me for that super cool but kinda dangerous turn I made five minutes ago?”

“Well, now that you ask…” Regina said with a smirk, putting down her menu. Emma regretted offering anything in the first place. She was screwed. “I get to pick what you’re eating.”

“What? No! No salad,” she pleaded as a waitress approached their table.

“Hush, dear,” Regina said, scanning the menu one more time before looking at the girl. “Hi. We will have two vegetarian burgers…”

“Please kill me…”

“...and two iced teas,” Regina said, unphased by Emma’s words. “Who’s being dramatic now?”

“I want a milkshake. You said you’d pick what I eat, not what I drink.”

“Fine, as long as you stop complaining.” Regina rolled her eyes and scanned the menu, looking for the beverages. “Oh… You know what, we’ll just have two regular burgers, hers with extra cheese... and a vanilla milkshake and one iced tea, please.”

“You got it, ladies,” the girl said, clearly amused by the women.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” Emma said, unable to hold back her grin.

“The vegetarian burger has nuts in it, which frankly makes no sense, but seeing you’re allergic to walnuts and pecans, I didn’t want to push our luck.”

“How do you…?”

“I wouldn’t dare forget it, after I baked that pecan pie and you sat at the table complaining while everyone else had dessert. Why do you think I never did it again?”

“Well, I just never…” Emma stuttered, her heart racing.

_ Regina remembered. _

“No shrimp, crab and lobster either. Sesame seeds and of course, by extension, sesame oil.”

“And kale,” Emma blurted out, trying to quiet her racing thoughts. 

_ This means nothing. _

“You’re not allergic to kale, you just eat like a child,” Regina noted when the waitress brought Emma’s milkshake, decorated with sprinkles and chocolate chips.

“Alright, fair enough.”

The rest of their meal went by quickly as they discussed some of the details of Henry’s birthday party; it was mostly Emma begging Regina to let them have a gotcha tournament in her backyard (the answer was no, of course). She wasn’t so upset about the brunette’s negative answer, mainly because her mind returned over and over to a small detail.

Regina knew all of her allergies. Emma couldn’t even remember when or if she had even mentioned them to Regina, but she somehow knew and purposefully avoided cooking meals with those foods. And it was small, perhaps stupid, but for Emma meant more than she could ever put into words. So she did the only thing she could in that moment and paid their meals before the brunette could say a word.

“I’m going to the bathroom real quick,” Emma said once the waitress picked up their check, stretching next to their table and groaning when her back cracked a bit. She was either getting old or her car’s seats needed to be replaced.

Possibly both. 

She found a real treat once she got out of the diner.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like to you? I’m gonna drive for the rest of the trip before you kill us.”

“Do you remember how to drive a stick?” Emma said, walking towards the passenger seat.

“It’s not rocket science, Emma,” Regina knew she was being teased once again, but couldn’t hold back. The blonde snickered and jumped inside, slamming the door and fastening her seat belt in one swift motion.

“Wow, what’s all this?” she peeked inside a plastic bag full of chocolate, chips and gummy worms.

“Figured I’d get you this so you don’t make me stop again to get more food later,” Regina said in a neutral tone, backing away from the rest stop and getting back on the road without killing the engine once.

“Nice, Madame Mayor.”

“Please feel free to take a nap so I can finally rest from your incessant chatter.”

“First of all, eating candy won’t make me fall asleep and second, I don’t do chatter,” Emma said, her mouth full of gummy worms.

“Lovely.” Regina rolled her eyes, hiding a small smirk.

Emma was wrong, though. Within fifteen minutes of driving, she felt her eyes heavy and decided to rest her head against the car window, letting the rhythmic movement of the car lull her.

The light of the sunset began to heat her face and she was beginning to stir when Regina pulled the visor down, shielding her eyes from the blinding rays. A second later, she felt a soft hand placing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, softly caressing her cheek as to not wake her up.

Emma wasn’t sure if it was a dream or Regina had actually done it, but the warm touch and the flutter in her heart were enough to make her fall into a quiet, peaceful sleep.

*

Connecting with a teenager was hard and that was something Regina and Emma could agree on. That’s about as far as their agreement could go, because the brunette insisted on pointing out that playing video games and eating junk food with your son was not quality time nor the best approach about educating a young man.

Blah, blah.

Emma was standing right outside 108 Mifflin Street for that precise reason. The new Spyro game was out and she couldn’t wait to show it to Henry. Once upon a time, she had owned a second hand console and could only afford one game, so she played Rypto’s Rage over and over again. And now she had 3 remastered games and couldn’t wait to play them with her son.

She was bouncing on her feet when Regina opened the door.

“What are you…?” she said, before noticing the item in the blonde’s hands. “Seriously?”

“Ah-ah. You promised,” Emma reminded her, stepping inside the house and taking off her jacket. She tried not to think about the fact Regina was wearing yoga pants, a loose white cotton blouse and flats.

Who knew comfort clothes could be so hot.

“So, this is the famous Spyro?” Regina said, reaching for the video game and inspecting the cover art. “This is ridiculous, dragons don’t look like that at all.”

“Well, people in the real world don’t know that. And I happen to think he’s cute.”

“Oh, really?” Regina’s eyes widened, a sarcastic smile adorning her face. “Can I be the one to tell Snow White her daughter has a dragon fetish?” 

“Zip it, lady.” Emma rolled her eyes, snatching the box away.

“Please don’t fight,” Henry pleaded, going down the stairs two steps at a time.

“We are not,” Emma promised. 

“Right,” Regina agreed. “I will leave you to your game, children. I’ll be in my study, so do keep it down.”

“What game?” Henry said, putting on his coat. He looked between his two mothers, until he caught what Emma was holding in her hand. “Oh… Mom, I’m sorry, I made plans with Ava and Nicholas.”

The blonde felt her heart sink, her mind going blank when she noticed Henry and Regina were expecting her answer.

“Henry, if you had plans with Emma you should reschedule with your friends,” Regina finally stepped in, standing beside the other woman, her arms crossed in a no-nonsense manner.

“No, it’s ok. Go have fun with them.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yeap” Emma ruffled his hair and knew he didn’t protest out of guilt.

“Bye, moms,” he waved at them, shutting the door behind him.

“Well…” Emma kicked the floor and looked down. Goodbye video game night, hello pitty party.”

“Would you like to stay?” 

“I should go.”

Both women spoke at the same time, their eyes meeting briefly once they processed each other’s words.

“Oh, well, if you have to go…”

“I can stay,” Emma said with a shy smile. “I’ll teach ya how to play.”

“It can’t possibly be that hard if you’re good at it.” 

“Rude.” Emma grabbed the control for the PS4 and sat on the floor. “Hey, how about we have pizza? It’s on me.”

“Why must you sit on the floor like a child?”

“Because it’s more fun this way, come on.” Emma turned around and grabbed Regina’s hands without a second thought, pulling her down. The brunette obliged with a groan, taking her place next to Emma’s, their knees barely touching. She handed the control to Regina and guided her fingers across the buttons. “Ok, so you press X to jump, the O is for fire… and the triangle is for… uh… we’ll figure it out.”

“That’s it?” Regina looked at the control as if it was an alien device.

“Come on, how hard can it be? I do it,” Emma said, ignoring Regina’s eye roll.

“Just get us some dinner, Miss Swan.”

By the time the pizza arrived, Regina had figured it out alright. She didn’t even notice Emma walking up to the door to pay the delivery man and returning a second later, not bothering to get plates.

“Die, you stupid Gnorc,” Regina said through gritted teeth, eyes focused on the screen. 

“Ok, take a break from all the sheep roasting and have a slice of pizza,” Emma said as she sat back down.

“Not now, Miss Swan,” Regina grumbled, determined to keep playing. 

Who was the child now?

“Oh, shoot, I stained your couch with pepperoni.”

“You what?!” Regina screeched, turning so fast Emma was surprised she didn’t give herself whiplash.

“Relax, it was a joke. Now eat.”

“You made me lose,” the brunette grumbled, and sat on the floor across Emma. The blonde looked as she picked up a napkin to remove the extra fat from her slice of pizza and then picked it up carefully, giving a small bite. She felt Emma’s eyes on her and looked up. “What?” 

“You have to look so regal eating a goddamned slice of pizza?”

“Shut up,” she said with her mouth full, which made Emma snort. 

Pizza, yoga pants, video games and sass. Regina Mills was the whole package.

“Thank you for letting me stay and play,” Emma said when their eyes met again and she felt the urge to keep the conversation going.

“Well, technically, I’m the one who’s been doing all the playing.”

“Yeah, but it’s fun to watch you,” Emma said, taking another bite of her pizza and looking smug when Regina blushed. “You know, Spyro kind of made me want to be a game developer.”

“Really?” Regina said, genuinely interested.

“Yeap. I just thought it was cool, creating worlds and creatures and tests. Plus, I could play video games all day and call it work, and what’s better than that?”

“Being a Sheriff and playing trash can basketball?”

“Very funny, Your Majesty… Oh, hey! It just occurred to me, you kinda created this world from scratch as well. Like a level in a game. That’s cool.”

“Hum… I guess you’re right. I should have said that to Henry since the start; maybe he would have thought I was cool and not evil. And I should have added a dragon to roast your mother every time she annoys me.”

Emma let out a loud laugh at that and Regina’s eyes glistened. She gave the blonde a small smile in return and then glanced back at the clock in the wall.

“You want me to go?” Emma offered, knowing the brunette was too polite to say anything about the hour.

“No, I was just thinking about  _ your  _ son’s proclivity to be late for his curfew.”

“Oh, he’s my son when he does that.”

“It’s only logical. You’re the one who’s always late, Em-ma.”

“Fair enough… You sure you don’t want me to go?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Regina sat next to her, her back against the couch and picked up the control. “I want you to watch me defeat this Gnasty Gnorc.”

The blonde snorted. 

“Alright, show me how it’s done.”

Sitting on the floor, next to Regina, playing a video game she loved? Emma didn’t feel so alone anymore.

 

**

 

“Ok, just sign here,” Emma said, handing over a report to Regina. The brunette pretended she hadn’t listened, and kept reading her book, a finger playing absentmindedly with a strand of chocolate hair. “Earth to Regina.”

“I heard you the first time. But I’m off the clock, Sheriff.”

They were in Regina’s study, like every Thursday evening. The tradition had started a few months ago, when they were swamped with work and could only find so little time to brief each other on the latest magical mishaps and ways to defeat them. Once the dust settled, it evolved into a Sheriff-Mayor conference where they went over the topics before the weekly town meeting, until it became a simple afternoon of Regina chilling while Emma filled out most of the paperwork she was supposed to do during the week, as usual.

There was one thing that had never changed: Emma was always invited to stay for dinner. It went from “it’s late and we have to eat” to “I guess we have enough for everyone” and ended up being a weekly feast featuring Emma’s favorite meals. 

Regina pretended it was a coincidence, though some might say she was going soft.

It was not the case, Emma found out, once she poked the brunette’s leg with her pen and was kicked off the couch in one swift motion.

“Hey!” she said while Regina stretched and smiled.

“Always so clumsy, Miss Swan.”

“Fine, I guess you can sign them tomorrow morning.”

“ _ First _ thing in the morning.”

“So around noon?” Emma huffed and stood up from the floor, reaching for Regina’s phone. “Here, you’re getting a shit ton of messages.” 

“Language,” Regina glared at her but ignored the phone. “They’re not important.”

“How do you know?” 

“The generic ringtone is for people that don’t really matter and can wait.”

“So what is Henry’s?  _ Sweet child of mine _ ?”

“Do you ever get tired of your own jokes?” Regina sighed and closed her book, finally giving up on the idea of a few more minutes of silence.

“Nah, cos they’re awesome.”

“Debatable.”

“Henry likes them.” Emma crossed her arms and grinned. Regina huffed.

“He also likes pineapple in his pizza, are we to trust his judgment?”

“I am not taking responsibility for this specific personality trait of his, for your information.”

“Someone has to. But I’ll do my part by feeding him with things that are acceptable,” the brunette set her book down on the coffee table and nudged Emma’s shoulder. “Come on. Time to get dinner ready.” 

“What are we having?” Emma said as they walked out of the study and into the kitchen.

“Roasted chicken with coleslaw and baked potatoes,” Regina answered casually, as if it was no trouble to prepare a delicious dinner for three in just one afternoon. She checked the oven and then turned to the fridge to get the ingredients for the salad.

Emma held on to the kitchen counter and sighed heavily.

”I will trade you my first born for all of it.”

“Well, not that it’s necessary, but in a way you already did.”

“Then I would like seconds and a portion to go,” Emma said cheerfully, drumming her fingers against the kitchen counter. Regina just rolled her eyes.

_ Tough crowd. _

“Enough with the potentially scarring jokes at the expense of our son and start setting the table, please.”

“Fine. If he happens to get emotionally marked, I’ll just take him for ice cream after dinner.” Emma rolled her eyes, opening one of the cabinet doors to pull out some plates and glasses.

“No need for that. I also made Japanese cheesecake for...”

“What?” Emma turned around, her mind conjuring images of fluffy, bouncy cheesecake that tasted like heaven. Her beautiful, simple and frankly dumb mind casually forgot she was standing next to an open door, and she banged her head as soon as she (tried to) look at Regina.

“Son of a bitch,” Emma grumbled, falling to the ground for the second time that day, her hand above her left eyebrow.

“Emma, what on Earth?” Regina sat on the floor next to her. “Are you ok?”

“I think so.”

“Let me see.”

“Ok…” she slowly lifted her hand, a throbbing pain extending to her entire forehead. 

“Looks a little swollen and you have a small cut. I’m getting the first aid kit. Don’t move,” Regina said with the experience of a mother who had tended bruises and scrapes more than once, and disappeared before Emma could reassure her everything was fine.

Except for her dignity.

“This might sting a little,” Regina warned when she knelt beside her again, cleaning the small cut with alcohol. The brunette was focused on her task, which gave Emma the confidence to inspect her perfect features up close, a rare opportunity she would not dare waste.

“Can't you just heal it with magic?”

“I think I will leave it as a reminder to close the cabinet doors, as I have told you a thousand times before. Plus, that thick skull of yours barely got a scratch, dear.”

Emma couldn’t argue with that for two reasons: the first, Regina was right (though Emma would NEVER admit it) and second, she barely paid attention to her words, her stare going back and forth Regina’s lips and eyes.

“I guess you’re right after all, huh? Always so clumsy,” Emma said in a whisper, afraid that speaking louder would break the spell.

“Food obsessed might be more accurate,” Regina said softly. “How do you feel? Dizzy or disoriented?”

“Just hungry.”

Regina rolled her eyes and stood up.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“A fancy word for difficult,” Emma said, trying to stand as well. Regina reached for her hand and pulled her up with a surprising amount of strength. The blonde fell forward in the other woman’s arms, almost losing her balance until she held onto the kitchen counter behind Regina, cornering her against it. “Sorry. You alright?”

“Are you planning on destroying my kitchen?” Regina huffed, placing her hand on Emma’s abdomen to push her away, but instead letting it linger there.

“This wasn’t on me, you’re surprisingly strong.”

“I am full of surprises, yes,” Regina nodded, a small smile on her lips. Emma thought she looked nice. And smelled nice.

For a brief moment, she thought about kissing Regina. And how the word “nice” would be a massive understatement if she ever actually got to do that. 

Emma must have hit her head harder than she thought.

“Who is full of surprises?” Henry entered the kitchen without looking up from his phone and Regina finally pushed Emma away. The blonde rubbed her neck awkwardly, trying to bury the thoughts of Regina’s lips and face and everything else away.

“Hey, kid,” she said weakly.

“What happened to you?” he said, finally looking up.

“I was in a fight…”

“She hit her head with a cabinet,” Regina interrupted, glaring at the blonde.

“Regina!”

Henry snorted, unable to contain his laughter.

“Henry!” Regina admonished, while Emma contributed in her own parental style with an angry “You little shit”.

“Emma!” Regina turned and slapped the blonde’s arm. “Language.”

“He laughed at me.”

“You lied, so you’re no better.” 

“Because I didn’t want him to laugh at me.”

“I was only teasing, Ma. How about I set the table and you guys finish up here?”

“Thank you, Henry, that would be perfect,” Regina cut off before Emma could utter another word and let their son walk out of the room with the plates and glasses. The blonde slumped on one the benches and looked around, arms resting on the kitchen island.

“Do you want any help with that?” she offered while Regina chopped vegetables.

“And risk that you cut yourself? Let’s not take any more chances for today.” 

“Oh, since when do you care so much, Your Majesty?” Emma leaned forward, a playful smile on her lips.

Regina let out a small laugh and placed her hand on Emma’s temple, a thumb soothing the cut. The blonde felt the unmistakable surge of magic healing the small wound and making her headache disappear all at once. Emma sighed, relieved.

“You’d be surprised, Miss Swan.”

 

**

 

“Evening, Sheriff.”

Emma looked up from the steering wheel and out the window, her eyes locking with one of the nuns. She loosened her grip on the wheel and gave her a small smile.

“Evening, sister Joy.”

She had been sitting inside the police cruiser for what felt like hours, so caught up in her thoughts it never occurred to her that someone might see her. To be fair, it wasn’t like the stables where the most crowded place in town.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s ok, I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment. Are you visiting the horses?” the blonde said, nodding towards the stables.

Even after all these years, Emma didn’t completely understand why the women who were once fairies decided to lead such secluded lives. It was a bit depressing, which didn’t help improve Emma’s mood.

“Yes, just spending some time outdoors.”

“Nice.” 

“I imagine you’re here for Henry and Mayor Mills.”

Emma nodded.

“Yeah, just picking them up after the riding lessons.”

“That's nice of you. I must go now. They are over the round pen.”

“Yeah, thank you,” she waved at the woman awkwardly and walked towards the stable. 

She heard Regina before actually seeing her.

“You’re doing great, Henry!” the brunette said, letting out a melodic laugh. Emma’s heart skipped a beat and she smiled for the first time in that day. She walked up the fence and leaned both arms on one of the wooden panels, looking at Regina and their son.

She knew this place didn’t bring back the nicest memories for Regina, what with having said goodbye to Daniel for the second time in her life here. But the moment Henry asked for horseback riding lessons, Regina didn’t hesitate for a second.

Fate couldn’t have chosen a better mother for her son.

She allowed herself a moment to stop thinking about anything other than Regina, riding a horse with poise and elegance, even as the wind kept pushing her hair back. In anyone else that could have looked messy, but for Regina, it gave the impression she was in the middle of a photoshoot.

The brunette made her horse canter with one small movement of the rope halter and her legs, until it gained enough speed to jump one of the obstacles on the edge of the round pen. She then went back to where Henry was practising simple commands and made their horses walk at the same rhythm.

“Hey, there’s Ma! Look!” Henry said, making his horse trot, while Regina stayed behind with an adoring smile on her face. The boy made the horse stop right next to the blonde and beamed, proud of himself. “What do you think?”

“You’re doing awesome, kid.” She bumped their fists from her place behind the fence and then looked over to Regina, finally catching up. “Hey, David says hi.”

“Right,” Regina nodded and turned to Henry. “I think we’ve made enough progress for today, so let’s get you home.”

Emma watched them return to the stable and waited by the cruiser until they were all ready to leave. They had a code for magical emergencies when Henry was around and it usually involved stuff that Emma or Regina were unlikely to say to each other.  _ David says hi  _ usually meant “we have a thing that’s not so bad but we should get going”, if Emma said  _ I had a great salad for lunch  _ it was probably more urgent and (Emma’s favorite)  _ Snow sends you a hug  _ was code for “Oh my fucking God, we’re all gonna die”.

“Ready?” Emma placed her hand on Henry’s shoulder and then looked up at Regina, who simply nodded and slid into the passenger seat.

Henry filled the silence during the ride to Mifflin Street, bombarding Regina with questions about horses and things from the Enchanted Forest. ( _ Did people ride unicorns? Is it like in Harry Potter, where you get cursed if you harm one?) _ .

“Henry, Emma’s driving me to pick up some paperwork. Why don’t you get ready and we’ll all have dinner at Granny’s?” Regina said once Emma pulled over and Henry nodded.

“Can we have ice cream afterwards?”

“Sure, kid.”

“Cool, see ya in a bit,” he waved at them and Emma’s heart warmed.

“He’s such an awesome kid.” 

“He is,” Regina said, but then sighed. “So, what’s our emergency of the day?”

“Just a chimera.”

“Oh, good” the brunette raised her eyebrows, not impressed at the idea of chasing a creature around town. She flicked her hair and toyed with the silver bracelet on her left wrist.

“Yeah, I’m not excited about it either. I still remember eating it during that first trip to the Enchanted Forest,” Emma groaned and then kept driving to the edge of the forest in silence.

“What’s wrong?” Regina said after a couple of minutes.

“Chimeras are what’s wrong.”

“Emma,” Regina said with a tone that made it clear she knew. 

Of course she did.

“David and this whole Co-Sheriff thing,” she sighed. “It’s just dumb. I’m sheriff, and he’s deputy. I’m not trying to have more power or authority than him, but frankly, I think I can handle all the responsibility, I don’t need my father to question every decision I make, you know?”

“Well, why don’t you tell him that?” 

“Because then he’ll talk about family and how we’re a team and I end up feeling guilty.”

“You shouldn’t. You’re a grown woman and the Sheriff’s department isn’t a family business. Besides, who gave him the authority to do this whole Co-Sheriff thing, anyway?” Regina turned around, a frown on her face.

“It was back when Snow was Mayor.”

“Dear God, when will I stop fixing the mess your mother made,” she muttered, rubbing her temples. Emma snorted.

“Give it a couple of years… oh, there it is!”

Emma stopped the car abruptly and pointed at the sky.

“Chimeras aren’t supposed to fly” Regina said, leaning forward in her seat.

“Really?” Emma’s eyes widened, dreading what was coming next. “So…”

“So, it seems like you had a great salad for lunch, if you know what I mean,” Regina said and exited the car. “Ready?” the brunette gave her a reassuring smile and Emma nodded.

_ Here we go again. _

-

Hybrids of chimeras and dragons were an awful thing, Emma thought while sitting at her desk. They were also super gross, especially when someone blew them up with magic. She would never forgive Regina for that.

But right now, she had a headache for different reasons. Because she made the mistake of telling David about their little fight with the creature.

“Emma, you should have told me about it. This is why we’re a team!”

“Regina was with me and we both have magic, so I don’t see the problem.”

“I’m your backup.”

Emma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Was it too late in life to act like a teenager and slam a door in her father’s face?

Regina saved her the trouble.

“Excuse me,” the woman said, storming inside the station with a thick folder in her hand. “Your incompetence is staggering, Sheriff.”

“What?” Emma said when Regina threw the folder in front of her.

“Regina, what are you talking about?” David said, trying to look at the papers. The brunette slapped his hand away and pushed them towards Emma insistently. The blonde opened the folder beneath her desk and found a post it with the words  _ Just play along _ written on it.

“The crime rate has gone up according to your latest report, which was not what you told me last time, so you were either lying or don’t do your job properly, Sheriff Swan,” she placed both hands on Emma’s desk and glared at her.

“That can’t be,” David assured her, crossing his arms.

“I am not talking to you, Deputy Nolan,” Regina muttered without taking her eyes off Emma. The blonde tried to hold her stare, which was super hard when the other woman was wearing  _ that _ purple dress, accentuating every curve.

“We’re actually Co-Sheriffs,” he explained and Emma almost snorted at the way Regina rolled her eyes and looked at him.

“Pardon, but I don’t remember authorizing that.”

“It was… Snow,” he admitted, shifting uncomfortably.

“The town has one Sheriff that was elected, and that is Miss Swan. If you want to run against her you are more than welcome. But I’d much rather you both stop this nonsense right now because it is  _ clearly _ not working for Storybrooke. I want structure and order in your Department, is that clear, Sheriff?”

“Crystal,” Emma said, trying to hide her smirk.

“Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a town to run,” she said, disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.

David let out a sigh.

“Well, that was…”

“Bad, I agree. So we should listen to Regina. I really don’t want to start fighting with her again.”

“Right…” the man nodded. “Well, I will leave you to work on that” he moved his head towards the folder and walked to his own desk.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. Maybe chimeras weren’t so bad.

 

**

 

As most things Emma did, she found she should have thought the Sheriff thing a bit better. A stack of paperwork and some shift dispute between Mulan and Will took most of her morning and now she was late to her favorite part of the day.

Coffee with Regina at Granny’s.

She sprinted to the place and plopped in the booth in front of Regina. She instantly picked up on her weird mood; the brunette never fidgeted.

“I seem to have lost my favorite bracelet.”

“The silver one with rubies?”

And yeah, maybe Emma should have pretended she didn’t know which one it was. But of course she did. She had made sure Henry had enough money saved from his weekends at Gold’s shop to get Regina the perfect Mother’s Day present. And not that it mattered, but maybe she gave him the rest of the money. Whatever. 

“I’ll see you for the PTA meeting this afternoon,” Regina said and before Emma could push her protests any further, the woman left the dinner. 

Her timing was impeccable, as Ruby placed the check in front of Emma, for cookies she hadn’t eaten and what was now a very cold cup of black coffee.

Truth be told? She didn’t mind one bit.

What she did mind was thinking about that silver bracelet, her pen frantically hitting the desk as her mind kept coming back to it. Regina was wearing it two days ago as they were chasing the chimera. The forest could be a good place to start looking.

“I have to check on something,” she said to David, putting on her jacket and taking the cruiser’s keys. Under the excuse of a theft (a small lie) she drove alone to the forest, to the place where Regina had made the whole thing blow up.

Emma was doing this for Henry, so his expensive gift to his mom wasn’t lost forever. The fact that Regina would smile and give an adoring look to Emma when she gave it back had nothing to do with the search (BIG lie).

She found it alright, after falling a couple of times, ripping her shirt when it got stuck in some bushes and gagging every time she saw a chimera body part.

The safe was broken and it felt somewhat slimmy (let’s ignore that fact for Emma’s sake). And so what if it took her most of the afternoon to get it fixed? She still made it on time to hear Henry’s professor tell them what she already knew: they had an amazing kid.

The only shocking thing was how Emma’s heart began to beat faster as they approached their cars. 

“I found this underneath the troll bridge,” she said, handing Regina the box, hoping the brunette wouldn’t notice her voice shaking or her hands lingering on Regina’s wrist for longer than necessary once the woman to put the bracelet on.

And by God, who was she fooling? She had dived into disgusting mythical creature remains for Regina, and she would do it a hundred times more if it meant she would get that beautiful smile.

“Would you like to have dinner tomorrow?” Regina finally says, her demeanor less confident as if she was bracing herself for rejection.

“I would love that.”

The way Regina smiled at Emma? It made everything ok again.

-

Was Emma Swan in love with Regina Mills?

The long answer Emma would give anyone was “None of your fucking business”. The short answer was yes. You don’t just spend the entire day looking for a bracelet in the middle of disgusting chimera parts for anyone. 

Now, was Regina in love with her? For that, Emma didn’t have an answer. Maybe the woman just invited her to dinner as a way to thank her for getting her favorite bracelet back. But even if she didn’t know this was a casual dinner or an actual date, she felt compelled to buy flowers and a nice bottle of wine. 

The smile Regina gave her when she did something nice was enough to justify those purchases. She was also hoping to get a small smirk for arriving early.

Once at the entrance of the mansion, she tried to control her breathing and knocked on the door several times. No answer. Emma juggled with the stuff on her hands and the doorknob, opening up and walking around the foyer, until the hustle in the kitchen lead her to Regina.

“Hello, anybody home?” Emma pushed the door of the kitchen open, and Regina turned around looking like a deer caught in headlights. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re early… and you brought flowers.”

“I also brought wine,” she said, lifting the bottle.

“Emma, I’m sorry, we should reschedule.”

The blonde felt her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach and left the flowers and wine on the counter, trying to correct the course of the evening before it fell apart.

“What, why? What’s wrong?” She noticed the tears threatening to slid down Regina’s cheeks and she swallowed the lump on her throat.

“I had the longest day and I didn’t know what to cook, and then I was too distracted so I burned down like two pies before you got here… And I wanted tonight to be special.”

“Well, every time I have dinner here is special so I don’t mind,” she tried her best puppy smile, hoping it would cheer Regina.

“No, this is different. I had a whole speech planned. I think, I mean, it depends on how things… what are you doing?” Emma tried to focus on Regina’s words, but it was hard when the woman looked so adorable with traces of flour everywhere.

“It’s just that you have flour all over your face,” and without thinking much of it, she began to wipe it away as gently as she could. “You said you had a speech or something? I’m all ears.”

“Well I can’t focus when you’re doing that.”

Emma let out a small laugh because frankly, the brunette really did sound like a child sometimes. She ignored her protests and pulled Regina closer to remove some flour from her chin.

“It’ll be just a moment, don’t be such a grump about it.”

The blonde lost herself in the feeling of Regina’s skin against her own, and how close her thumb was to those perfect lips… that weren’t moving anymore. She wondered if Regina was upset and she looked up, only to find the brunette leaning forward.

Emma’s heart leapt out of her chest as soon as she understood. But there was no fear when she dived in and kissed Regina, only wishing the moment could stretch forever.

“Emma, I…” 

She refused to open her eyes. And she most definitely didn’t want to talk either.

“Mmm, just a sec” she reached for Regina’s waist to bring her closer, her lips finding the brunette’s in a heated kiss. And holy fucking shit, Regina tangled her hands in Emma’s hair and she needed to be so much closer than that, backing her up against the kitchen counter.

“There’s flour all over the counter,” Regina protested.

“Uh-uh, tragic.”

“My dress…” 

“Yes, I agree, take it off.”

Regina laughed against her lips and Emma finally took a step back, already missing the feeling of soft and warm lips against her own. She kept her arms around Regina’s waist, feeling a finger toying with the belt loop of her jeans.

She was going to explode if she didn’t get to kiss Regina again. Emma tried to breathe, using Regina’s closeness to steady herself, their foreheads resting together.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time, you know?” 

“You don’t say.”

“What about you, Madame Mayor? What made you fall for me? My Charming genes?” Emma made a joke, because of course she would at a time like this.

“Definitely not.”

“My heroic personality, my skills with the snow shovel, my hilarious puns…?”

Soft lips pressed against her own and her heart fluttered. It was an amazing kiss, only less urgent and more… more  _ everything _ .

She watched in awe as Regina smiled at her, the only way she did around Henry or her and felt like her whole life made sense when the brunette finally answered her question.

“It was you. All of you, Emma.”

Words weren’t enough for the blonde, and so she had to kiss Regina once again, to make up for all the time she wanted to do it but couldn’t. 

“Aren’t you gonna ask me why I’m madly, stupidly, crazily in love with you?”

“Not sure all of those are words, dear.”

Emma chuckled at that, and took one of Regina’s hands on her own, placing it over her heart.

“You know me, you understand me, you look out for me. And I couldn’t imagine someone more perfect to be with. Not in a million realms”

“Emma,” Regina sighed and cupped the blonde’s cheeks with her free hand.

“There are many things I don’t understand. But the only answer I need is you. You are… you are everything, Regina.”

_ You, and all the little things you do to make me feel loved. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, I like pineapple on my pizza. We're all children of Jesus here. And I hope you enjoyed!


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